2012 a mixed year for WA arts

On the surface, 2012 is shaping up to be a good year for WA arts fans.

A host of international and interstate performers are set to swing in to town, kicking off with the world class Perth International Arts Festival in February.

But its a mixed bag for our home-grown companies and performers.

While there are plenty of big ticket shows on offer and a spanking new State Theatre Centre, higher venue costs and dwindling audience numbers means there will be less local theatre content on offer this year.

The state's ballet company, however, is jumping for joy.

After cramming the company into a single studio at His Majesty's theatre for three decades, dancers from the WA Ballet will move into a brand new rehearsal venue in March or April.

The former Institute for the Blind in Maylands is almost ready for its new residents, with the final touches, including barres and mirrors, currently being installed in the massive art deco building.

"We'll have a physio room that's about 10 times the size of the one we have at the moment; we'll have proper wardrobe facilities, and space for productions, and three massive studios will just mean that everything easy and can run smoothly," she said.

The move to the new venue coincides with the Ballet's 60th anniversary and a season packed with premieres and crowd favourites.

2012 will also signal the start of a hunt for a new artistic director, with Ivan Cavallari announcing his resignation.

"Ivan's time here has been absolutely wonderful and he's really transformed the company," Ms Robertson said.

"He'll be greatly missed but I think it's a really exciting new chapter, also."

The show must go on

While the ballet is embracing 2012, the state's theatre companies are approaching the new year with a lot more caution.

2011 marked the opening of the new State Theatre Centre and the Black Swan and Perth Theatre Companies unveiled a series of stunning works in the spectacular space.

But, the lavish productions came at a price.

The costs of using the new venue are much higher than they were at the old Playhouse Theatre and the two companies, which have always tread a fine line financially, have announced reduced line ups for this year.

Black Swan receives the smallest government subsidy of any state theatre company in Australia and Ms Cherry says the high costs have forced the company to lighten its load in 2012.

While it will put on six big-name shows in the large Heath Ledger Theatre, the company has cancelled its program at the smaller Studio Underground, also located at the State Theatre Centre.

"It's a great disappointment to us," Ms Cherry said.

"We feel the studio theatre is really important in terms of the health of the landscape of the Perth and Australian theatre because that's where we can try out risky work and work by young people."

The company hopes by relying on big-ticket shows in 2012, it'll raise enough money to be able to bring back its underground program in 2013.

Curtain call

Perhaps most concerning is the state of play for Perth's independent theatre groups.

For some, 2012 marks the end of the line.

In 2011, local director and designer John Senczuk proudly announced the opening of a new theatre space in Perth - the Edgar Metcalfe Playhouse.

The old IMAX cinema in Northbridge was proclaimed to be the affordable option for independents who had been priced out of the State Theatre Centre and Mr Senczuk announced a nine-show season, starring local actors, that he would produce at the venue.

"Everybody said that I was mad and they may have been right," he said.

Despite kicking off the season with a David Williamson world premiere, crowds came at a trickle.

It wasn't until the end of a six-month trial that the audiences grew to a decent size, and by then, the losses were already too high.

"Setting up a new venue and attempting to do that number of plays, in some ways, was folly," Mr Senczuk said.

"My difficulty really is one of economics. Attempting to support and create work with the local community... I've got to be a little more circumspect about that."

In 2012, Mr Senczuk will leave the theatre he helped create.

He plans to continue producing works for local performers and is looking at a number of unusual venue options for their staging.

Overall though, he is concerned about what the year has in store for the local theatre scene.

"What the big problem is, is that our local content is diminishing rapidly," he said.

So while performing arts lovers will have no problem finding a production to see in 2012, the fact is, there will be less West Australian work on show.

And whether that is the fault of high venue prices, or a lack of audience interest, it's a worrying sign for the future of local theatre in WA.